1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector arrangement between a flat flex cable and a component of an electrical circuit or another flat flex cable.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
EP 0443655 A1 describes a connector arrangement between a flat flex cable and a component of an electrical circuit. Flat flex cables are finding ever-increasing application in bus systems—for example, in automobile manufacture. There, flat flex cables, which are connected to form ring circuits and by means of which a multiplex control of diverse components occurs, replace costly and, in particular, heavy-weight cable harnesses.
Known from EP 02006691 is a connector arrangement for flat flex cables by means of which two such ribbon cables are connected to each other. For this purpose, respective conductor strands are stripped of insulation at the connecting site between the ribbon cables and these sites are pressed together by a clamp under application of an elastic pressure. This simple method of connection has proven itself useful, but can be applied only to a connection of flat flex cables placed under one another.
The present invention is based on the problem of further developing a generic connector arrangement in such a way that, with it, flat flex cables can be manufactured with circuit boards as well.
The present invention is based on the basic idea of affixing a housing to a cable end of the connecting flexible ribbon, in which the region that is to be contacted is subjected to an elastic spring force, by means of which this region is pressed against the contact surfaces of a mating connector.